


Boy, When Will You Grow Up?

by abib918



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: #giveguzmarealparents2019, Gen, because we need soft dad/son relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-11-09 07:39:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20849873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abib918/pseuds/abib918
Summary: After the breakup of Team Skull, Nanu moves off of Route 17, only to return for work, and to keep anyone who tries to break in to the old town out. The department was insistent that nobody go in after Skull, after all. But, things are turning around for the former leader of the gang, and it seems Nanu is part of it.





	1. Route 17

It was always raining on Route 17. Everyone always knew that. You avoided Route 17 unless you really liked rain. But the rain had since ceased, which was an odd feeling for the whole island. Especially one Kahuna Nanu, who had been there for the better part of a decade. He partially knew why the Tapu had finally stopped pelting his station with endless rain, but it didn't make him feel any better. The Skull Gang had broken up, after their leader realized he needed to better himself after being sucked into the next dimension by Aether's president. And so the gangster had gone back to Melemele, hoping to train under his old mentor, the kahuna of Melemele, Hala. It wasn't that that concerned the old man, but rather the fact that he hadn't heard from Guzma in the months that followed his departure from the island.

He shouldn't have been worried, but he was, despite all his efforts. But it wasn't like he could leave the island long enough to check on the kid. Luckily for him, he didn't have to. The kid came to him. 

"Yo, cat man!" the familiar voice called from outside. "Guess who it is?"

The cop lazily swung open the door to his new house, left to his own devices with Acerola being at school and David out doing some shopping, "Who?"

Guzma couldn't have grinned wider, Nanu thought for a moment, "It's ya boy! Yer happy to see me... right? Of course you are, who wouldn't be?"

"I could think of a few." A smirk crossed Nanu's face, "You want to come in fer tea, or did you just come here to disturb the peace?" 

"I mean... the tea's extra, really. Disturbin' ya peace is good enough for me." 

Nanu snorted, "Just get in here, ya brat." Guzma laughed as he followed the other inside, grinning at the fact that he didn't ram his head into the doorway. When he visited the station, he always had to bend down just a bit further even from his usual slouch. A fitting house for such a tiny old man. The younger man flopped down on Nanu's couch, disturbing the peace of several napping Meowths. Mission accomplished. "Don't be surprised if they bite yer arms later. Trust me on that one." The cop held up an arm laced with pearly scars from his Meowth's teeth and claws as he set a kettle on a burner, "Their daddy's my Krookodile, so their teeth don't mess around."

The former boss snorted, "So the cats _did _get busy, huh? And you let ya Persian run wild with ya Krookodile. Charming mental image, copper." he scratched the head of one of the cats, earning back its trust for the moment. 

"Hm. Try being the one finding out about it the next morning." Nanu mused as the water began to heat, and it was only a few minutes later that the kettle whistled, and the cop removed it from the burner. "_That_ was a treat, lemme tell ya." He set down the mug of tea on the coffee table, along with some sugar, in case Guzma just _happened _to like his tea sweet. Which he did, evidenced by the way the younger tried to sneak some sugar into his tea without the older seeing him. "So what brings ya here, kiddo?"

"I ain't a kiddo."

"Ya are to me. Now, what brings ya here?" 

Guzma shrugged, burning his tongue on his tea. Smooth. "I dunno. I didn't really... _miss_ ya... but I kinda _did??_ It's weird. Again, I dunno." 

"Huh." Nanu sat down, bringing his own mug with him, "Usually you don't bother with me unless you've got a reason. At least, from what I noticed."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know." another sip, "But.. me and Hala have been trainin' and part of it was he wanted me to like... make up for shit with people. Includin' you." Nanu was.. confused, and a little touched to say the least. With a twitch of the cop's eyebrow up, Guzma continued, "Like.. he wanted me to apologize for causin' all the problems I did, and bein' a lil' shit. And you were the target of most of my shenanigans. And uh.. he wanted me to let you know that.. if ya ever need me for shit, like... just... kinda.. gimme a call, I guess."

Nanu was even more surprised now, though his face hardly showed it. Guzma, apologizing? He had to be going crazy. This wasn't real. "You're serious? Wow. I.. I'm impressed, Guzma. Thanks. The apology is appreciated."

"Sure." The former boss shrugged as he set down his now empty mug, "Don't let it go to ya head, though."

A snort from the older man, and a smirk, "Sure. You done here, now that you've robbed me of my tea?"

"Yep. See ya around, old man." 

Nanu gave the kid a two fingered salute as the other walked out the front door. Maybe he didn't think so now, but Nanu was pretty sure he meant that. That the sugar in his tea meant he might just be a little softer then he'd like to think. But what did he know?


	2. Community Service

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guzma said Nanu should give him a call if he needed anything, and now he's getting his community service hours in.

"So tell me why ya called me over to help ya with _grocery shopping?_" Guzma groaned as Nanu had to practically drag him along. If this is what it was like to have children, Nanu could see why sometimes people saw them as a pain. "I said ya could call me for whatever ya needed help with, but for real?" 

The cop rolled his eyes, "Listen. You gave me the opportunity, and I ain't gonna waste it. Besides, don't you need some community service under yer belt?" 

"Yeah, right. Oh boy, am I gonna get a Stufful Scout badge for helping the elderly?"

Nanu snorted in amusement, before leading the way into the store, passing a cart to Guzma, "Push that." When the younger saw no other option, he did as he was told, and followed the cop around as he shopped. Amongst everyone else in the shop talking and moving about, the silence shared between the two of them was almost.. comforting to the former gangster. His mind had been filled with at least five hundred thoughts as of late, and this... this just helped him relax, oddly enough. 

"Hey. Kid." the officer's voice snapped him to reality, "You need anything? Yer stayin' with Hala, right? You think he needs anything?" 

Guzma looked around for a second before shaking his head, "Nah. We're.. we're good." 

"You sure?"

"Yep. Hala is scary organized, man. He's the first to know if we run outta somethin'."

Nanu, hardly being a man to argue, simply nodded and moved towards the register. As he was putting his groceries on the belt, he noticed the younger man behind the cart slip something in his jacket, and gave him a questioning look, "Something you want?" Guzma looked thoroughly startled that Nanu had noticed him, and shamefully handed over the candy bar he was trying to swipe, "For real? Just this? Listen kid, don't steal, but if you are: go big or go home." 

That didn't fail to get a good laugh out of the former boss, who grinned wide and let out a cackle, "Aight. Sure. I'll keep that in mind." And so the two bagged up groceries and left, simply carrying the few bags they had home, "Aight, copper, let's make this quick. I don't want my candy meltin'." 

"We'll get home as quickly as we get there, calm down." Nanu chuckled at the bug-trainer's impatience. He really was a child, though not in as bad a way as he had thought before. "Thanks for the help by the way. You were a good cart pusher."

Guzma snorted, "Sure. Now I've got like, what, zero point five community service hours? Do I get my badge yet?" The two shared the laughter this time, but only for a short minute before Nanu broke out in coughing. "You good down there?"

"Yeah." the old man swallowed. Guzma nodded, before continuing walking until the house came into sight. The meowing of Meowths was heard as their trainer unlocked the door, and greeted them with a: "Move it, ya freeloaders."

"Geez. What a greeting for 'em." Guzma snickered as he went searching for his candy in the bags after placing them down on a counter. "But you're just the classiest, from what I've seen. Ah shit. Of course. It melted. Thanks, genius."

"You're the one who wanted it."

"_You're _the one who bought it for me."

"Stick it in the freezer, it'll be fine."

And so the former Skull boss did just that, pouting just a little over his melted candy. The two then resumed unpacking and putting away groceries, staying mostly silent outside of Guzma asking where things went. And when all the bags were empty, the two regrouped in the middle of the kitchen, Guzma leaning against the fridge.

”Your candy should be good by now..” Nanu nodded towards the freezer. The former boss was still skeptical, before taking out the candy and opening up the wrapper and promptly eating the whole thing.

”Hm. Seems like I was right.” The cop snorted. 

“Shut it.” Guzma swallowed before snarking, “Doesn’t mean yer right all the time.”

Nanu smirked, “Of course not. But maybe it would benefit you to listen more then once in a while.”

”ʻAʻole wau e ʻōlelo ʻōlelo Pelekane.” It was Guzma’s turn to smirk, and Nanu’s surprised expression made it worth it.

”Where’d ya pull _that_ out of?”

”Hala. Something, something, my roots, heritage, something, something, I’m teaching you the language. And he did, so... can’t say my time on Melemele was entirely unproductive.”

And now the cop was smiling, truly and genuinely, “Good for you. Seems you really are changing.”

”Don’t get yer hopes up. I’m not. My training’ll end and I’ll go right back to bein’ big bad Guzma. Just watch.”

”With that attitude? Yeah. You will. Just... keep up the good work, kiddo.”

”I’m not a kiddo.”

Nanu smacked the younger on the arm, “Quiet, you.” 

“Nah.” Guzma took the hit, before smacking the officer back. “Make me.”

The absolute guts in this kid made Nanu just laugh, before Guzma joined him. It felt so much different from his time with Hala. This... this felt normal. Natural. He just had to wonder if Nanu felt the same way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (( Guzma told Nanu he can’t speak English, btw. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! ))


	3. Turned Tables

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanu has a realization, and it only occurs because someone is a bit stronger then he thought.

Nanu hadn't been expecting Guzma, but yet the boy came, and they simply talked and Nanu made tea in case Guzma asked. And he did, unsurprisingly. And while they drank, the younger posed a question, “How strong are you? You’ve been in Interpol, right? Then ya’ve gotta have some strength.” And maybe he did at one point but, one glance at his arms told Nanu the contrary. But his ego told him he was still 000, the Interpol’s finest, and he could totally take down this kid.

Perhaps the glint in his eyes gave him away as just as bit excited at the chance of a thrill. Maybe it was the brawls, or the adventures he missed, but it sure was something. "I'd like to think so... why? You wanna go fist to cuffs, or are you just askin'?"

Guzma grinned, "I dunno. What do you think?"

And so Nanu stood, the younger man across from him following suit, and they immediately began to wrestle. And they went at each other for a while, always trying to stay on top or in control of the other. And Nanu was doing fairly well at that... and then he began to lose steam. Guzma kept getting in control and his bones began to ache. He should tap out. He should stop now. But there's shame in defeat, he learned, and you were not supposed to give up, especially in the face of someone trying to control you. 

Guzma was having the time of his life! Who knew the cop he was wrestling had so much fight in him? But he noticed the strain. And it made him wrestle harder. Time to make the old man _work out _and feel a bit of _strain- _

**Pop**. 

The pain was instant and Nanu had to near force Guzma off while he grabbed his shoulder. The other was left in shock and surprise, as he was pushed off, before going over to see if the other was alright, "Hey! Dude, what did I do? Oh _shit_\- What did I _do?!" _The adrenaline rushed through him as he supported Nanu by his good side, and brought him over to the couch. "Okay, okay, fuck. What the _fuck_ do I do?" 

A snap broke his thoughts and ramblings, and he turned to the source. Nanu. And his good hand. "Hey. If you don't mind, could ya get me a fuckin' ice-pack? This hurts like hell."

"Right. Dude. I'm so sorry. I didn't know that would-"

"Shut. Just shut." The cop had shut his eyes and tried not to focus on the pain in his shoulder, "Yer fine. I'll be fine once I get the ice on and sleep. It'll all be fine." 

"But what if I fuckin' dislocated it-"

"Don't worry about that. _Get me the ice."_

The former boss did as he was told, and retrieved the ice-pack from the freezer, handing it to the injured man and suppressing the urge to apologize again. He plopped down, looking thoroughly disappointed in himself for hurting the other. "Hey-"

Nanu shot him a glare, "If yer gonna apologize again, don't. I'm _fine._" 

"No," Guzma buried his head in his hands, "I fuckin' hurt ya. I'm really... I'm really sorry, man.." And so began the waterworks. It wasn't rushing out all at once, but rather Guzma suppressing it and letting it come out in small bursts. "I didn't mean it..."

The cop stared at the other for a moment, holding the pack on his bad shoulder before leaving it to rest there and pulling Guzma in for a side hug, "I know."

* * *

When Looker returned home from errands, there was... just a bit of explaining to do. The former detective checked over his husband while Guzma simply sat back and tried to keep his emotions inside, not doing so well at that part.

Mostly because he didn't understand what Looker was _saying._

"Vous deux, je le jure. Si vous continuez à déconner comme vous le faites, quelqu'un va être sérieusement blessé! Surtout **_toi_**, Nanu! Cela aurait pu être bien pire- "

"David." Nanu smirked gently, "I think yer making Guz more upset with yer fancy language." 

And so Looker glanced from his husband to the former boss, only to look incredibly sorry when he saw Guzma so upset, "Oh! Oh Arceus. I was just... explaining that, you two can't wrestle so tough like that. Someone could get hurt again. I'm sorry." Guzma nodded, wiping away any emotion he may have shown while Nanu was getting patched up.

Thankfully from what Looker found, it was only partially dislocated, and was easily fixed, after Nanu took some painkillers and kept the ice on his shoulder. Guzma was oddly quiet until dinner, when he protested being spoiled, because Looker had made their favorite dinner. The protests were ignored, and Guzma ate it all with a pout, which was also ignored with theatrical precision. The rest of the night was just as quiet, up until Guzma left, and Nanu passed out on the couch. 

A small whisper stayed behind when the Skull boss left: "Feel better, copper."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the motivation, Frosty. :3  
(( Translation: "You two, I swear, if you keep messing around like you do, someone will be seriously hurt! Especially you, Nanu! It could have been a lot worse-" ))


	4. Flu Season Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title says it all.

When Guzma swung by Nanu's house again, he was greeted by.. nobody? Surely the cop was here, if not at the station. And he'd _checked _the station... He knocked again, a little harder then last time. "Hey! Cat Man! You in there?" No response, save the choir of Meowths. Was the man dead? He hoped not. He wasn't gonna find out just standing here, though, and so, after scouring around, he found a spare key in the man's mailbox, which was right near the front door. Using it to open the door, the former Skull boss herded the cats inside, and called for the cop again. He was met with coughing, coming from the upstairs. A trip up the stairs revealed the source was in Nanu's bedroom, and it was Nanu himself. From what the younger man could see, he looked like _garbage._

His voice was hoarse and scratchy as he spoke and gave a small smirk to the kid in his doorway, "Hey. Remember that coughing I did the other day? Yeah. Turns out: surprise, surprise, I _wasn't _fine." 

"Arceus-" Guzma crossed the room and crouched down to be at Nanu's level as he laid in bed, considering he towered over the man standing up. "You're kiddin' me, right? Actually, don't answer that." He ran a hand through his bleached hair after removing his sunglasses, "You're unbelievable."

"Hey, listen. I just woke up and felt like trash, so don't get started with me." Nanu protested, "And don't think this means you gotta stick around and care for me."

"Well, you're shit outta luck, because that's exactly what I'm about to do." 

The cop rolled his eyes as Guzma stood and scanned the room, before he spoke to him again, "You take medicine yet?"

"Yes, _mother." _Nanu snarked from his bed, "I did. Looker was insistent. Worrying just the same as you are right now. I don't get it. I've been shot and had my throat slit, and ya'll are worrying about a flu? For real?"

Guzma's face twitched as the other spoke, before he shot right back, "Look sorry we wanna make sure you're alive. I get bein' stubborn. You know me. That's the one thing we got in common. But there's a line between stubborn and stupid, and yer on the stupid side right about now." 

All the cop could do is sit there, dumbfounded at Guzma’s words. He was... right. Not that the old man could ever admit it. That would be admitting something was _wrong_. And he hated that.

These thoughts all crept on him while Guzma set to work, prepping medication and making sure the other man was comfortable. “Guz. Seriously. I’m fine..” This statement was promptly followed by a coughing fit, which made the gangster near whip around to give him a questioning glare, which the cop rolled his eyes at, “_Don’t_.”

”Copper. Listen. I’mma be real. I’mma clingy piece of shit. So I ain’t lettin’ you die. Aight? Cool.” Guzma paused for a second, “You want soup? I can make soup without burning it, I think.”

“You don’t sound sure.”

”Absolutely not.”

A laugh was shared, one hoarser then the other, before the rest of the day set in motion. Medicine was taken, soup was eaten, and the house remained intact during the whole thing. It was a feat for the ages, at least, but Guzma’s standards. 

“Hey.” He started after a while, “I gotta get goin’, Hala’s expectin’ me. Training and crap. Take care of yerself, alright?” 

“Yeah, yeah. Now go before you’re next, dumbass.”

"I'm goin', I'm goin'! Geez."

And so the former Skull boss left, leaving Nanu to sleep. But the whole time he was training with Hala on Melemele, working on his strategies with Golisopod, he couldn't stop wondering if the old man was okay. What was _wrong _with him? 

Why was he _worrying_ about a _cop?_


	5. Guzmania in Bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interlude where Hala and Guz have a heart-to-heart about Guz having feelings.

Guzma's knuckles _hurt._

Not because of a fight, or anything violent. No. He was training with his Golisopod, working on punching techniques. He barely felt his knuckles as they struck the punching bag in front of him, Golisopod working on slashing through logs with his Liquidate attack. It was a good way for them to get their frustrations out, if they had any. Better then punching walls. It was also a good way to forget about certain _cops_, Guzma found. He'd thought about Nanu during his training, but only for short periods. Why was he thinking about him at all? He shouldn't be, he told himself, He doesn't _really_ care about you.

It was only when Hala told him to stop that he did, Golisopod halting his own practice and making his way over to the two humans. "Guzma. Are you alright? Is there something on your mind?" Shit. He'd noticed, and immediately Guzma fell back on his Wimp Out ability.

"What? No way, man. Everything's fine over here!" A lie, and Hala saw right through it. Guzma had to wonder how he thought that would work. 

"You say that like I was born yesterday." The kahuna raised his eyebrows, "Now. What is wrong?"

The younger man sighed, sitting down on the floor, Hala following suit, "I dunno, man. Nanu's got a flu, so like, I've been worried, but... I dunno if I should be. I also.. I hurt him. I near popped his shoulder out. It felt awful, man."

"But from what I heard from David, you took care of Nanu while he was out, and after you injured him, you tried to make it better, even if it took a bit of instruction. Don't you believe that's a good thing?"

"I mean, yeah! But..." Guzma sighed again, "What if I don't stay this way? What if I just go back to being the awful dude I was before, and nothing actually changes?" He could see the confusion on his mentor's face, and slapped a hand onto his own. "Just.. forget everything I just said. It was dumb."

"No," Hala began slowly, "You're worried about becoming a bad person. And that inherently means that you're good. You can't be worried about being a bad person and _be _a bad person. That's not how it works, Guzma."

"Shit, man. So yer sayin' I'mma good person because I don't want to be bad anymore? And because I'm trying? Dang."

"I'm not saying that's all, but.. it's a start."

Guzma got up, walking back over to the punching bag before turning back to Hala, "You said something like that before, right? About flowers and shit?"

Hala had to laugh at his protégé, "Yes, I did. There is no flower without the seed. You must first grow and bloom before you reach your true potential. And you have that potential, Guzma. But you were never taught to use it." 

Between punches, Guzma thought. Hala had a point. But he needed more then this. And so he proposed something, "Hey. How would you feel if I asked Nanu to help train me? Yer fine and all, but.."

"You feel like he could help you progress?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"And you also see a father in him."

"Lies." Guzma struck the bag, causing it to wobble at the force, "He's just.. good at shit. I dunno." Like hell he would ever admit that Nanu felt like a dad to him. What if he looked weak? Pathetic? He'd had enough of that feeling when he'd come crawling back to Melemele. Just seeing the professor had made him sick. Why _had_ he come back here? What was here that he wanted? Did Hala really do that much for him as a kid?

He heard Hala sigh and chuckle to himself, "Once he is feeling better, I will ask him. I don't see any reason he would say no." 

"Really? He would say no just because he had a cat on his lap." Guzma snorted. 

Hala laughed, loud and proud, before correcting his student's punches, showing him the correct way so as to not hurt his knuckles. Guzma nodded, before he turned to watch his Golisopod train for a moment. He'd gotten better over the past months. But now was an opportunity. One to go even further then they had before. Perhaps this would be for the best. For the both of them. 


	6. Know Your Weakness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanu has begun to train Guzma, and Guzma's in for a bit of a surprise if he expects easy victory.

Instead of going to Iki Town to train with Hala today, Guzma instead took the ferry back to Ula'Ula', where he proceeded to knock on the door of the resident dark-type trainer. Not that Nanu hadn't expected the kid, but he definitely hadn't thought he'd be here this _early._ Barely awake, the cop opened the door, coffee mug still in his hand, "Whaddya want?"

To his surprise, Guzma was beaming, despite it still being the early hours of the morning, "To train! You did get the memo, right?" The former boss laughed, before bouncing on his toes, "C'mon! Wake up! Let's go!"

Nanu just had to _stare _at the kid. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He'd never seen Guzma before noon back in the Team Skull days, at yet here he was in front of him at seven o'clock in the morning. He smirked, "Alright, alright. Just lemme finish my coffee, yeah? How the hell did ya manage to drag yerself up this early?" 

Guzma followed as Nanu led him in the house, flopping down on the couch, "Trust me, it wasn't easy. Took the threat of Golisopod letting me have a First Impression to the face." the older man's mouth twitched as he mentally prepared himself. Right. Bugs. The kid trained _bugs_, of all the types he could've picked. Not that he would change it, but it.. it bothered him. Bugs were never his best friends. Maybe it was because of their weird bodies, or the fact that one could wipe his whole team.

Or maybe he was just weird. That was a possibility.

"That sounds about right." He responded finally, not wanting to seem off to the kid, "So, where do ya want to start?" When Guzma looked confused and shrugged, Nanu posed another question, "What was Hala doing with ya?"

And then he got answers. And then he formulated a plan. After putting his mug in the sink and shrugging on an old leather jacket and slipping into his sandals, he led the younger man back outside, finally ready to begin. He just hoped Guzma was just as ready. "Send out yer Golisopod. I wanna see how strong he actually is." And so Guzma did, the isopod stretching itself in the cool air. It took every ounce of Nanu's self control not to bolt. 

"Alright. C'mon Persian." he tossed out his signature Pokemon, the feline letting out a cry as she was released from her container, "Show him we don't need the advantage." 

"Yeah right." Guzma growled from across the field, "Show _him_ a good First Impression!"

The Hard Scale Pokemon moved quickly, striking out with sharp claws at the Persian, who took the damage head on, before unleashing her own attack, Power Gem, at the Bug-Type's exposed belly. Golisopod was sent back, feelers twitching and eyes narrowing in mild anger. The Persian growled right back at the bug, hackles raising. 

It was an odd sight, even for Nanu. Usually, these two got along, despite their typing. And now, they wanted each other's blood. "Show 'em something he hasn't seen from you." Nanu called out. The feline purred before releasing a Thunderbolt, and the surprise on Guzma's face was _golden._

"Wait, wait, wait, what the _shit!?" _His grey eyes widened as Golisopod tried to defend against the electric barrage, but ultimately failed, but still standing on unsteady legs. "Since when?"

"Since before you were born, kiddo." Nanu's smirk widened into something almost resembling a smile. "Well, c'mon. Yer friend still has some fight in him, from what I can see."

The anger built up in the younger man, and he lashed out, "Golisopod! Pin Missile!" The projectiles fired, and Persian began to dodge, slipping into the gaps between the missiles. Hardly any damage. The way Nanu liked it.

"Power Gem."

The shards gathered and flew at the Golisopod, who was hardly thinking about them before they struck him, leaving him fainted. Nanu returned his Persian after offering her a few scratches and a Pokebean, and then noticed the disappointment on Guzma's face. "Hey. Kiddo."

"It's whatever. I just need to get stronger."

"No. That's not it. You're strong, you just don't know how to use it in a smart way." Red eyes watched as Guzma heaved up his ace and returned him, "And yer friend trusts you. Yer bond is obviously strong. But brute force isn't everything. There's strategy, and the element of surprise."

"Yeah, I got that part." The former boss grimaced at the fresh memory of his surprise at the Thunderbolt. "But how can I do that with the Pokemon I got?"

Nanu had to look up to look the kid in the eyes. When did he get so tall? Or when had he gotten so _short?_ "That's why yer here, right? I'm gonna show ya. But I won't be showin' you with Bug-Types. Here." He passed a Poke-Ball over to Guzma, "Open this."

The younger man shrugged and popped open the ball, revealing a Purrloin. "This a dark type cat like all yer Meowths?" When Nanu nodded, Guzma continued, "I mean, they're kinda cute, I guess." the little feline mewed, before purring at the compliment, "Geez. Okay."

"You gave her a compliment." The cop smirked again, "Purrloins are extremely vain. They're attention seekers, like a certain someone I know."

"Hey!" 

"Take one look at yer Skull Boss outfit and prove me wrong." 

Guzma grumbled a bit at the remark, before finally speaking audibly again, "Okay, so how is training a Purrloin gonna help me? I train bugs, in case ya forgot already."

"I'm not _that _old, kiddo." Nanu rolled his eyes, "But ya need to understand different types. And we're startin' with Dark, because yer with me. And besides, it'll do you well to understand the tactics of a type that yer strong against. Because, as ya saw with me and Persian, we've got our own tactics that'll help us win, despite having a disadvantage. Understand?"

"I think. And then I just gotta figure out how to work around that stuff?"

Nanu chuckled with a grin, "Now yer usin' yer head! I knew ya had to have more then one brain cell."

"Yeah. I got two."

"Oh, be quiet and give yerself credit." The old cop led Guzma back to his house and inside, before sitting down and beginning to plan out the rest of the Bug-Type trainer's training. 


	7. Gardenias and Guzmanias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tapu Bulu has been seeing Guzma's improvement, and has a plan for their kahuna and his student...

"Aw geez... ya sure ya can't let me win just _once?" _

Guzma grinned at the kid in front of him, pushing up his sunglasses, "Ain't how it works, kiddo. Ya gotta work for it. Geez. Maybe Nanu is rubbin' off on me. I'm not sure how much I like it." he snickered before looking down at Hau again, "Yer a lot stronger then when we battled at Aether, if it means anything, though."

The boy smiled, scratching the back of his neck, "Thanks, Guz. Me and Incineroar have been working extra hard to get stronger, especially after Selene became champ n' all. I've gotta challenge her and show her how strong I've been getting!"

Steely eyes flicked away from Hau for a moment as Guzma remembered the first Champion of the Alola Region. How were they? He hadn't bothered to check. He probably should. Challenge them to another battle so that he could show them he was stronger. Better. A good person, now. Would she even accept? The thought of her never seeing him outside of the mischief Skull caused made his insides turn. He was just glad ReSkull was doing well. Helping people. Maybe that would be enough. She _did _know about ReSkull.. right?

"Hey, nice work, you two." The voice was immediately recognizable by both as Nanu, who, for once, was out of uniform. It was strange, especially for Guzma, but he looked... somewhat relaxed. The former gangster was happy to see the old man without the stupid police insignia paraded around on his shoulders. The leather jacket and jeans he wore were beat up, but well worn, and for once, his shirt was white, not red. If Guzma was being honest, if Nanu was younger, he'd probably look like he was about to join Skull. He'd make a good Enforcer. The younger man's second thought was that his old man looked like a greaser, except without the greased hair. And that made him crack up for a moment.

He grinned. Perhaps all those months of training _had_ paid off. It felt like it had. "Thanks, dude. Feels good to kick butt, y'know?" 

"And, you took down that Incineroar all by yerself." 

"Hell yeah." 

Nanu cleared his throat and pointed to Hau, and Guzma flinched, "Oh sh-shoot. Shoot. Sorry."

The young trainer hardly seemed to notice and smiled at the officer, "Yeah! He barely stood a chance! Even with our Z-Move, he couldn't stand up to that Liquidate attack. Super cool!"

Guzma's eye twitched. _Z-moves._ The one thing he couldn't use in a battle. He'd picked up a Mega Stone from Nanu for his Pinsir and Scizor, but he still hadn't received a Shiny Stone from one of the Tapus. But, that just meant more work. 

"Nanu! How goes the training?" Hala called over, loud and booming, having returned from the Ruins of Conflict after speaking to Tapu Koko, leaving his friend to train Guzma and his grandson. 

Lazy crimson eyes flicked over to the other Kahuna, "Good. Seems Hau needs to learn how to handle bugs. His Incineroar didn't last long. Got wiped by Golisopod." Not that Ula'Ula's kahuna didn't sympathize with Hau; he did. He knew the feeling of getting taken out far too quickly by a bug-type. "Why'd Koko open his mouth?"

Hala pulled his friend aside, slinging an arm around his shoulder, "Nanu. Bulu has been trying to get to you all day. Koko only came to me because Bulu was getting frustrated. And you know how _that _goes." When Nanu nodded, Melemele's Kahuna continued, "He has a plan for Guzma. One that involves your retirement."

_Retirement._ The mere thought sent dopamine through Nanu. He'd waited decades for retirement. And here it was. But, now who would replace-

"...And Guzma would replace you." 

Nanu hardly bothered with the thoughts that came before those words. Guzma. Yeah. He'd fit. A natural leader, with charisma beyond belief. A lot better then the failure the island had already. But would the citizens of Ula'Ula' and even Alola as a whole accept the former Skull Leader? The thought of the people rejecting Guzma scared the current Kahuna beyond belief. What if he screwed up? What if he was like- no. He couldn't be. Nanu wouldn't let him. The cop swallowed, his throat tight, "Aight."

"Is something wrong?"

"Nah." A shitty lie, if nothing else, "Just lemme get Guz to do somethin' great, and get the people behind him, and I'll get him to the Ruins."

"Tell that to Bulu. He's impatient. You will need to work quickly."

"I don't move quickly, but I sure as hell can work quick."

"I trust you, Gardenia."

"Thanks."

* * *

The Ruins were deathly quiet. The candles by the shrine flickered, casting a soft, but ominous glow on the statue and plants around them. Soft footsteps broke the silence, and in came Nanu, climbing the steps up to the shrine and kneeling in front of the statue. His voice soft, he spoke, "You wanted me?"

A crack of lightning, and Bulu appeared before their kahuna, in human form so as to speak properly, "Nanu. It's been a while since we spoke." 

"Hm. Yeah. You could say that."

"Was the pain in your shoulder not enough to give you a clue as to where you were needed?"

"I just thought I was achey."

The Tapu snorted, "Only you. Have you heard of the plan I have for your student?"

"Oh yeah. What gave you such a brilliant idea, Einstein?"

"Well," The Tapu symbols that made up Bulu's pupils flashed from white to bright green for a moment, "You've wanted to retire for a while now, haven't you? I'm letting you. Bring Guzma here, and you're free." 

"Mostly. I'm still a cop, y'know."

"You get the idea, Nanu." Bulu hopped down from the statue onto cloven hooves, sitting down in front of their Kahuna, "I heard you are going to try and convince the island first?" 

Nanu sighed, turning his head away from Bulu for a moment, "Yeah. I'm just nervous they'll reject the kid. You did for a while too, remember?"

"Yes, I remember." The tapu grimaced, "I remember the rain. My rage led me to distrust your decision making. I apologize for that. But, if anything is to convince the people, it will be Guzma's decisions as Kahuna. The people of this island have trusted my decision making for millennia. They will trust me when I choose Guzma."

"Yer sure?"

"Absolutely. Are you not?"

"Not exactly."

Bulu snorted, standing again, pacing the small wooden platform that held up his shrine. He thought as he did this, then turned back to the old man, "I will give you a month to be sure. I trust you, Kahuna. If you feel this is the best course of action, then... do as you must. But a month, only."

Nanu scratched the back of his neck, before standing and stretching, his joints popping, "Alright. And hey, when I do bring him, can I ask you a favor?"

"..Fine."

"Don't make him vomit with the pain of the mark, okay?"

"You would know about that."

"Exactly."

"I'll try, Kahuna. Now go, time's ticking." Another flash and crack, and Bulu was gone as a breeze swept through his ruins. And, as Nanu left the shrine behind, Guzmanias bloomed amongst the Gardenias decorating the shrine. 


	8. Abundant Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some teens think they're all that, and try to capture Bulu. But who is that following them?

The Ruins of Abundance were quiet as usual as Guzma entered them with Nanu. The old Kahuna wished for his somewhat son to speak with the Tapu, and figure out what needed to be done in order for the younger to be a successful Kahuna. Not that Guzma knew of his fate. Yet.

But there were more people in the Ruins, though Nanu hadn't been told of this. It was a group of five teens, all standing near the shrine. "Hey." The cop called out, "You here to see the Tapu?" 

One of them turned towards Nanu's voice, and judging by the look of him, he was the leader of the five, "We're here to capture him, old man." Bulu had been summoned behind the group, and a look of pain showed itself on the Tapu's face. They were trying to fend off the teens with vines and regular attacks, but with hardly any success, due to the leader's snarling Houndoom. "Stay out of our way."

"Now hold up." 

Guzma's voice shocked Nanu, and he turned to the younger man as he resumed speaking, "Y'all think ya can just stroll in here thinkin' ya can just _take_ the Tapu like a souvenir? Y'all are stupid!" The former Skull Boss pulled out an Ultra Ball. 

Nanu was a bit more then surprised, but accepted the circumstances and pulled out his own capsule, “Kid’s right. These are our gods, kiddos. Ya can’t just capture ‘em like say, a Meowth.” The younger man at his side snorted, and the Kahuna smirked, “Now get down here and maybe I won’t arrest you fer trespassing.”

”Don’t you have guts.” The leader snarled as he rushed down the stairs, his dog by his side, “Houndoom! Flamethrower!” 

And then the panic set in. Adrenaline rushed through Guzma as Golisopod was sent out, and blocked the hit with solid scales, “Watch yer back, old man.” 

“Thanks. Will do.” 

The Hard Scale Pokemon let out a hiss at the perpetrators, and readied himself for battle. “Ya ready, bud?” His trainer called out, “Aight! It’s always right to give a good First Impression!” A cry and a swift movement later, the bug-type was slamming into the Houndoom, sending it back to its trainer with a hard hit.

“What in the—” Guzma could see the rage on the teen’s face as he spoke, “What was that?!” 

“It’s First Impression. A bug-type move. Nobody’s _ever_ dodged it.” Guzma grinned at Nanu’s explanation, glad his ramblings about bugs over the years hadn’t gone to waste. Soon after, Persian came out, and the battle truly began. “Bulu, give me patience. Because if you give me strength right now, I’m gonna send these kids into next Sunday.” 

Guzma outright cackled at the comment, before giving the next command to his Pokémon, “Poison Jab!” Purple enveloped the bug-type’s gleaming claws, and they quickly struck out, aiming for the ringmaster’s shaky Houndoom. 

A snap of his fingers and the canine bolted, missing being poisoned, but not missing a powerful Thunderbolt. Nanu’s Persian. 

“Shit, shit-“ the leader turned behind him, “What the hell are you all standing there for?! Get them!” 

His goonies moved quickly, releasing Pokémon of all sorts. The two that now faced Guzma was a particularly mean looking Arbok and a scarred Weavile. If he had to guess, underground fighting wasn't uncommon for this group. 

Nanu now faced a Drapion and a Mega Beedrill, and proceeded to have an internal conflict greater than the Kalosian War 3,000 years ago. He quickly shoved it down, and overrode it with his desire to keep Bulu and Guzma safe. He had to do that a lot, he noticed. "Power Gem. Beedrill." His Persian purred, and the gem shards fired as quickly as they gathered, the Beedrill trying to frantically get around them. 

"Beedrill! Fell Stinger!" The Poison Bee Pokémon aimed its many stingers at the Persian as its trainer smirked. Nanu began to breathe heavy. He should _not _be this scared. He spent decades in Interpol, he should _not _be this scared- his Persian took the hit like a champ. Hissing angrily at the Beedrill, dark-type energy practically oozed off of her. It was now or never, Nanu supposed. 

So he began. He quickly passed through the motions of the beginning of a Z-Move, before beginning to strike the Dark-Type pose- and his knee gave out. His back _ached._ And he fell. The teenagers laughed, and Guzma likely looked horrified. He couldn't tell. He couldn't see. The side of his face was pressed against the cold stone floor, with the only thing he saw being blood. He was bleeding. Where? No idea. He guessed his head, guessing from how he could barely keep his eyes open. A concussion, probably. He wanted to vomit.

And so Guzma was now surrounded by the whole group, and he released his team one by one. Glancing over at Nanu, he turned to his Vikavolt, "Guillotine. Cover me." The Electric-type buzzed and readied his strong jaws to clamp down on his foe, as Guzma bolted towards the cop, slipping by as one of the teens looked slightly concerned for his Pokémon as Vikavolt bolted in, "Hey. Copper. Wake up. Stay with me. I'mma get you outta here." When it seemed Nanu barely had the energy to argue, Guzma kept battling after propping Nanu up on a wall, "Scizor! X-Scissor!" And with the Weavile taken care of, he could move on to the Arbok, "Golisopod! Liquidate!"

The Hard Scale Pokémon obeyed, and quickly struck at the Arbok with his water-type attack, and Guzma left him to battle the snake on his own. The Beedrill was his next target. He grabbed his Key Stone out of his jacket and readied himself, "Let's go, Pinsir!" The Bug-Type let out a cry as he mega-evolved, and took to the air with his powerful wings. "Stone Edge!" 

And the now dual Bug and Flying-type attacked furiously, just as instructed, the Beedrill now in a panic over the super-effective move. Not that that helped the situation, as Pinsir only got more excited at the panic he caused. 

And finally, the Drapion. And only his Masquerain was left. Well, he had his Ariados, but he doubted that he'd be helpful right now. "Ice Beam!" The Eyeball Pokemon let out a cry and a concentrated beam of ice, striking the scorpion. Guzma wanted to badly right now to be able to do the Z-Move. Prove his worth. He knew the movements. What if.. he returned Masquerain. Golisopod had finished the Arbok. "Golisopod!" the Hard Scale Pokémon turned and made his way over to his trainer, "Imma try something, and you better not think it's stupid, aight?"

The bug hissed in delight, and turned to face his final foe. It was now or never, Guzma supposed. He began the motions for a Z-Move, and thanks to the Buginium Z he gave Golisopod as sort of a gift, it being the first one he stole, the energy built up around them. Guzma grinned, feeling the power inside of him. He didn't _need _a ring. He had himself and his Pokémon. He finished the move, "Savage Spin-Out!" 

The move was completed, and Golisopod let the Drapion have it, claws and scales gleaming in the bright light. Guzma's heart was pounding in his chest. This was _exhilarating. _Nanu, for a brief moment, looked up and saw the Z-Move carried out, and smiled. He knew he could do it. 

Guzma shook when the Z-Move finished and he was left in the Ruins with his Pokémon, the teens fleeing after they had all been beat. Bulu snorted, but the former boss hardly noticed as he walked over to Nanu and picked him up after returning his Pokémon. He had to get him to a Pokemon Center. That wound on his head was _far_ too concerning. 

_"Guzma."_

The voice in his head was startling. "Yo." was all that came out.

_"Brace yourself."_

What did they mean by- the pain embedded itself in Guzma's shoulder as a bolt struck it and a crack filled the air. His knees shook, and he had to do his best not to drop himself and Nanu. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. His throat tightened. He had to get out of here. "What the hell, Bulu.."

_"It's a pleasure to have you, Kahuna."_

Kahuna? 

The word burned itself into Guzma's mind as the mark did his shoulder, and as he tried to stumble out of the Ruins, he collapsed, still holding Nanu close to him in a hug as he weakly propped himself against an entryway. And when Hala found the two of them after hearing from Koko that Bulu had two passed out idiots in their Ruins, that's exactly how they still were, Nanu's head leaning against Guzma's chest as Guzma took ragged breaths and tried not to cry.

He was _Kahuna._


	9. A Place Called Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guzma's Kahuna now, and there's a lot of work to be done on Ula'Ula' Island.

When Nanu woke up, it was to the sound of yelling. Nothing unusual, having lived next to Team Skull for the better part of a decade, but it was still alarming. Prying open groggy eyes and glancing around, he deduced that he was in a Pokémon Center, and his head was bandaged. He vaguely remembered hitting the floor of the Ruins of Abundance, but not much after that. The only thing that stuck out was Guzma using a Z-Move. And then he remembered passing out. That was it. He focused on the yelling again, and noted that it was familiar, mainly because he'd lived next to the source and spent the last few months training him: Guzma. He tried to move, but his body refused to do so, so in his bed he stayed, confined by exhaustion.

Though he didn't have to worry, because Guzma had the moving part nailed down. The door was practically kicked open by the younger man, and steely eyes stared down the cop. From what Nanu could see, Guzma looked utterly _exhausted. _"Copper! Yer aight!"

"Mhm." 

The new Kahuna was practically running, picking up his psuedo-father from his hospital bed and hugging him close. Nanu's mouth twitched as he was enveloped in the warmth, and tears pricked the edges of his eyes. Arceus above, he was proud of this kid. But why was he hugging him? When the nurses began pulling on their new Kahuna, Guzma set the officer down gently, kneeling down beside the bed and put his head on his hands, "How ya feelin'?"

"Like shit." Nanu smirked as he answered, "How 'bout you?"

How _did _Guzma feel? He barely felt like he could answer that. He felt a lot of things right now. There probably wasn't even a name for half of the emotions in him. "I... I'm okay. "

"Are those eye bags or eye shadow? 

"Ha, ha, dude. Totally haven't heard that one before."

Nanu sighed, "Just lemme see yer shoulder."

"My shoulder? Which one?"

"Left, dumbass." And so, finally, Guzma turned around so Nanu could clearly see that his son's left shoulder was heavily bandaged. When he began to dismantle the wrappings with shaky hands, the nurses inhaled, but didn't make any move to stop him. And when the bandages came off, Nanu's crimson eyes widened at what he saw. The Tapu Symbol. The bastard did it. He was... Kahuna. Nanu had to take a few deep breaths to control himself. That was it. He wasn't Kahuna anymore. It was such a calming and unnerving feeling all at once. But the emotion that swelled over the other two was overwhelming pride. His boy, Guzma, was Kahuna. 

"There somethin' there?" The Kahuna asked quietly.

Nanu noticed his cell phone on the side table by his bed, so he pulled it over and took a picture, before showing it to Guzma, "That." The expression on Guzma's face was _golden._ For him, anyway. He decided to explain, "It means yer Kahuna. I'm officially retired. From kahunahood, anyway."

"Oh. That's what was so fuckin' painful?" His casual tone managed to mask his utter shock for the moment. So he was actually Kahuna. Why would Bulu pick _him?_ Of all people? Is this what his training was for? He didn't blame Nanu, to be perfectly honest. He'd been Kahuna since Guzma himself was a teenager. And the dude was _old. _Not extraordinarily old, but old nonetheless. It was time for him to take a break. Permanently. "Okay."

"You good, kid? I know it's a lot." Did the other Kahunas know? Arceus he hoped they did. Guzma would need the help. He just hoped the kid would keep up the war of wits he had with Olivia. It'd be a damn shame for that to die simply because Nanu wasn't Kahuna anymore. "Listen. If ya need to, I'll let ya stay with me and Looker fer a bit, and you can get yerself together and I can give ya a few pointers-"

"Po Town. Kahunas can hold their Grand Trials in any place they want, right?" Guzma was just thinking out loud, but apparently, Nanu liked his train of thought and hopped right on.

Thoughtful eyes looked over the young man, "That's right. Why Po Town though?"

"We could.. get Skull in one spot again. Not have 'em just scattered all over. Be a family again." He snickered, "Make it like one o' them Kanto gyms with all the trainers before you even get to the leader. Ya gotta battle a bunch o' Skull people. Plumes would be the last one before me." The idea was fascinating to him, and the mere image made him excited. 

"So," Nanu began again, "What yer sayin' is, you and yer gang wanna start botherin' me on the job again?

"No!" Guzma cackled at the thought, "I'm just sayin', we could fix up the place and then just... it could be like HQ. ReSkull is great, they just need like, a base. Y'know?"

Nanu did know. And he felt for the kids of Skull. And they were kids. The oldest, from what he remembered, outside of Guzma and Plumeria, was 19. Barely an adult. And he'd grown close to those kids. So he wouldn't mind having them next door while he worked again. Especially on paperwork days. Their dances and asinine screaming made those days at least somewhat entertaining. All he had to do was open up his window. Also, he figured, he could keep an eye on them again. The rest of the Department didn't like them that much, even after they had redeemed themselves. And they had tried to physically remove Skull more then once before the gang had allied with Aether, so Nanu was wary of his own coworkers being around Skull at all. 

"Yeah. You need any help?"

That was an understatement. It'd probably take a whole _island _to fix the wreck that Po Town had become, thanks to rain and the rage of both human and Tapu. Thankfully, the rain had stopped, which was nice, and definitely helpful towards their efforts, but there was still _tons _of work to be done. "You kiddin'? Bring yerself, yer friends, yer family, and it probably still won't be enough." Guzma laughed quietly to himself, "You think we can do it?"

"Do I _think _you can? I know you can. Those Skull kids will go through the Distortion World for ya, kid. Get them set on this, and they'll work on it until the end of time. Plus, it's their home. Like hell they'll pass up a chance to help fix it." Nanu ruffled Guzma's hair before the former gangster stood up, "I'll join you when I can."

"I know ya will. Just rest up, Copper."

"Ten four. I shouldn't be here long."

Guzma snorted and grinned as he headed towards the doorway, nurses and doctors crowded around him, "See ya."

* * *

True to his word, Nanu wasn't in the Center long, and after he was discharged, made his way to Route 17, only to see Skull grunts running in and out of Po Town, most carrying different supplies and tools. The officer paused for a moment, before spotting their boss. He had a new leather jacket, and was donning his signature glasses again. Instead of the Skull logo on the jacket, from what Nanu could see, the symbol of Tapu Bulu adorned the younger man's breast. He was proud of his status. He was also wearing black leather gloves and looser black jeans. The kid had _definitely _picked up on Nanu's style of dress and made it his own. "Yo! Copper!"

Guzma jogged over to the officer and grinned, "We got started! You should come in and see!" Golisopod, out beside his trainer, let out a happy chirp, not that Nanu was happy to _hear _it. Keeping up as best he could with the Skull Boss, Nanu trudged along, a smile spreading on his face. The kid really _was _enthusiastic about this. It'd been a while since he'd seen Guzma this happy. When the old man entered the town he nearly had to keep his jaw from dropping. Team Skull really had meant it when they said they were gonna clean up the place. While it wasn't the greatest place yet, there was a fair bit of effort put into it. The graffiti was gone, the walkways were clean, the barricades had been tossed, and the place just generally, looked _cleaner._

The Skull Grunts looked very proud of themselves, if Nanu was honest from looking at them, and the whole town was in high spirits it seemed. "Well shoot, kid. You've made some progress. I'm proud of you."

The Skull Boss seemed to jolt, before looking at Nanu almost quizzically, "Yer... Yer proud of me? Holy shit, for real?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be? Yer cleanin' up a whole town and became Kahuna. That's somethin' to be proud of."

"Well shit," Guzma turned away before the officer could see his cheeks get red and his eyes water, "Thanks. I guess."

The cop smirked, before following his son deeper into Po Town, giving half-waves and nods to the Skull Grunts who he made eye contact with. It was good to see them all here, and not out causing trouble, though, he didn't suppose they would, with ReSkull and all happening. 

The door to the Shady House was opened after the two climbed the steps up to the entryway and they made their way inside, and to Nanu's surprise, the chandelier that once lay shattered and ignored on the floor was _gone._ Guzma must've seen his shock, because he smirked and explained, "Yeah. Some of the grunts have Fighting-types, so they heaved it and got it outta here. Neat, right?" 

"Yeah, but... where'd ya put it?" 

"We were gonna get it fixed up and hung back up where it belongs, but... that requires money. And money we don't got right now." 

Nanu hummed as he mused to himself, mulling over the fact that Team Skull still didn't have a ton of money. That would change soon, he was sure. He glanced at the Boss' wrist, only to note that he didn't have a Z-Ring still. After pulling the younger man's attention back to him was an elbow, he held up his own bracelet, "Did Bulu not give you a shiny stone?"

"Oh.." Guzma flushed and looked away, embarrassed, "They did. But.. uh. I dunno how to make it a Z-Ring. So it's sittin' on my nightstand. Useless."

The cop simply chuckled before looking up at the Skull Boss, "Yer kiddin' me, right? I can make 'em, y'know. I made Gladion's. And Plumes'. I can sure as hell make you one." 

"Ya sure?" 

"Guzma. Go get me yer shiny stone. It'll be done by the end of today, if I have any say in it."

As so Guzma did as told, making his way up the stairs into his bedroom that he could access from within the house, now that the broken glass was cleaned up. As he grabbed his shiny stone off his nightstand, he looked around and noted how much nicer his room looked without the false throne and bottles of various alcohol strewn everywhere. He smiled briefly before heading back to the stairs and sliding down the railing, "Hey copper! Heads up!" he tossed the stone to the old cop, who caught it with only mild struggle. "Nice catch."

Nanu snorted as he slipped the stone into a jacket pocket, "Aight. I'll let ya get back to work, kid. Good seein' ya."

"Yeah. Good to see ya too, cat man."

He would have a Z-Ring, he told himself. Tomorrow, he would have a Z-Ring. The thought circled around in his head for hours, Grunts having to snap him back to reality every once in a while to make sure he was still focusing on the task at hand. And he was, but the idea of having a Z-Ring after a decade of waiting was almost as thrilling as the thought of having a place to call home. 


	10. Cirsium Vulgare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guzma gets a Z-Ring, Po Town gets an upgrade thanks to a strange man, and Plumeria has a surprise.

It was noon in Po Town, and Guzma was wide awake and working hard at the many projects that occupied its residents. The same could not be said, however, for Officer Nanu, who currently lay passed out at his office desk in the station next door to the town. A newly crafted Z-Ring lay in front of him and he smacked his hand over it as he woke himself up, trying to remember how he had fallen asleep the previous night. How late had he stayed up? He was working on Guzma's Z-Ring, he knew that, and apparently, he had finished, he found as he inspected the bracelet in front of him. He smiled softly as he picked his head up, before getting up, stretching out, and changing his clothes with the spare clothes he left at the station. After making sure he looked at least _somewhat _presentable, he trudged down to Po Town, buzzing the front gate to let him in. 

The new Enforcer that let him in seemed quite pleased to see him, though Nanu wasn't sure why. He was told were the Boss would be waiting for him, and he may or may have 'accidentally' slipped a dollar or two to the Enforcer. Whoops. 

The stairs were the biggest challenge, but Nanu managed to overcome, just barely. Why did Guzma have to be up _here_ again? Must be important. Or he just wants his old man to suffer. That sounded like him, if only in a joking fashion. He knocked on the kid's bedroom door, before waiting, the Z-Ring in his pants pocket. When the younger man opened it up, he was grinning like a fool, and sporting his new clothes still. Had he slept? He wanted to ask again if the boss was wearing eyeshadow or not. "Sup, copper?" 

"Hey. I got something for ya." He pulled out the Z-Ring and flicked it up at the Skull Boss, who caught it with deft hands.

He watched as Guzma turned it around in his hands, admiring the device for a moment. "How long did you spend on this? Seems like a shitload of effort." 

Nanu shrugged, "Eh. Maybe. I just know I woke up about twenty minutes ago and it was done, so... I dunno, man."

"Boo. You need actual sleep, genius." Guzma snickered, before gesturing for Nanu to follow him inside the room, "There's someone you gotta meet. He's gonna help out Skull and shit. It's gonna be great." And so the officer did follow, happy that Guzma was making connections with people who could-

Akagi. Cyrus Akagi. Holy shit. And he looked _alive._ Not like the husk of a man Nanu had seen in the newspaper when he'd first returned to the real world. Not like the soulless abomination he was on Mt. Coronet, the man that Looker had told him about. "Tada! Cy, meet my pops. Pops, meet Cy! He's from Sinnoh and he makes energy. Thinks he can help Po Town get sustainable stuff and help us renovate."

Galactic _was_ supposed to be an energy company, wasn't it? And it'd turned around. Brilliant. Just fantastic. "Hi. Chief Nanu of the Ula'Ula' Police Department. I think I've heard of you." He hoped that wasn't too suspicious. He hoped he didn't make Cyrus uncomfortable. 

"Ah. Yes. I'm.. I'm sure you have. It's a pleasure to meet you, Chief." Cyrus offered a pale, slender hand to Nanu so they could shake, and Nanu accepted, if with a slight shiver. The other's hand was _cold._

"So, why the work with Team Skull? Surely Galactic's got better things to do." 

Cyrus' head tilted just a small bit, and his eyes narrowed, "Not necessarily. And besides, we must do what we can to help others. It's the entire mission of Galactic Energy." Nanu snorted at that last part and the other noticed, "Is something funny?"

"Nah. It's just that that wasn't the mission last I checked."

And then Guzma chimed in, "Nanu please, don't."

"No, it's quite alright, Guzma. Not everyone will move past our past deeds so quickly." Cyrus reassured his new friend, "I hope you will consider looking at Galactic's more _recent_ history, in the meantime, Chief. And, I look forward to seeing how we may work together, with you being so closely tied to Team Skull."

The officer simply stared as he thought about the man in front of him. There were papers spread out, and from what he could see, most of them detailed plans for a new energy system for Po Town. He focused on those for a moment. "...mhm. What does this new energy plan entail?" A change of subject, and likely a subject Cyrus wanted to talk about.

"I'd be happy to explain." Cyrus grabbed one of the packets, and handed it to Nanu, "If you would be happy to listen." 

One look at Guzma told Nanu that he should stick around, and he glanced back up at the blue-haired man in front of him, "Sure. Explain away, Akagi."

* * *

It took a while, but Cyrus did eventually explain everything, before heading back to his hotel for the night. Nanu stuck around the Shady House, helping around where he could and talking with the Grunts as they finished up their tasks. It was nice to be among them again, and have the chance to talk with them. It felt natural. And then he noticed something. He hadn't seen Plumeria, Skull's Big Sister, _anywhere. _It was a bit concerning, considering she was always seen around the House at least somewhere. When Guzma passed him by, he tapped the kid and asked, and Guzma suddenly got _very nervous,_ from what Nanu could tell from his expression. The grunts snickered just a little. Some blushed and looked away, while one brave soul dared shout out:

"They're havin' a kid!"

_A child_. Nanu's head spun. He had to grab Guzma's shoulder to stay standing straight. Did this mean he would be-? No. Guzma couldn't trust him like that. _Could he??_ "Are they right, Guz?"

The Skull Boss supported the officer, trying to keep him from falling, "Y-Yeah. Plumes is restin' right now. It's hard shit, y'know?"

No. No he didn't. He didn't know what raising kids was like. He'd never had any of his own outside of _her-_ Stop thinking about that, he told himself, stop making yourself feel like shit when you should be happy. You moodkiller. "Sure. That's-" he had to refocus on forming words, "That's great, Guzma."

"Hell yeah. And ya know why it's gonna be great for you?" 

"Why?"

"Because yer gonna be their gramps." 

And then Nanu passed out. He _did _trust him that much. The Grunts promptly lost it, and Guzma began carrying Nanu upstairs to an empty bedroom. Plumeria poked out of her room, looking thoroughly disheveled, "You told 'im. Didn't you?"

"More like the grunts yote it at him."

"Damnit." Skull's Big Sister smiled softly at the officer in Guzma's arms, "Explain it just a bit more gently when he wakes up, yeah?"

The boss grinned, "Will do."

And so he did, earning him a hug from his father once he woke up. And maybe just a few tears. Maybe. Not that Nanu would ever admit that he cried over becoming a grandfather. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do y'all know your flowers? ; )


	11. Left in Cinders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been six years, so Nanu has a new shadow, and she's just found a friend he's not too fond of.

It was a quiet morning and Nanu was just sitting back, relaxing, and watching his new granddaughter, Azami. Well, she wasn't exactly new, considering it had been six years since her grand arrival. She now sat on the floor in front of him, messing around with some toys before she leaned back onto the front of the couch and looked up at her grandfather with curious golden eyes, "Grumpa?" Grumpa. Her nickname for him. The best nickname he'd ever received. The minute she figured out there were more words then 'yes' and 'no', she tried to string some together to create names for people. She'd heard Guzma call the officer her grandpa and then proceeded to hear David call him grumpy, so she smashed the words together and called him 'Grumpa', with Nanu never stopping her.

He glanced back down at her, "Hm?"

"This is a weird show," she gave a confused look at the television, "What is it?" 

The officer looked at the screen to find one of the crime dramas he watched on. He'd hardly been paying attention and half falling asleep because the episode was slow, but he supposed there was no harm in explaining it to her. Maybe. "It's.. it's a show about crime solving, and cops. Stuff I do." And then she got the brightest look on her face. Maybe this was a bad idea, he thought. 

"Really?" She clambered up beside him on the couch, pressing himself into his side. The warmth coming off of her was incredible. "I wanna do that stuff! That's cool stuff!"

Of course it was. Everything he did was cool. He didn't understand it. Ever since the girl could toddle, she'd been following him around like his shadow, and trying to be just like her Grumpa. Which was hardly a good thing, in Nanu's expert opinion. He simply scratched the back of his neck and tried to get her focused on something else. But she'd hardly be interested in anything other than crime fighting right now... wait. He thought of something, and quickly suggested it, "Ya wanna help, huh? Well, I've had this sittin' on my desk since this morning, and I think you can help."

Azami gasped, and stuck her head under her Grumpa's arm, "Really? I can help? How? Tell me!"

"Well, there's this strange Pokemon, I don't even know what it is, that's been hangin' around on the beach ever since some tourist abandoned it. Ya wanna help me deal with it?" An eager nod told him yes, and so, with a bit of trial and error, he got up and grabbed his cane, just so David couldn't complain when he got home that he didn't take it with him. "Alright, kiddo. Let's go see what's happening." The girl practically jumped off the couch and grabbed her Grumpa's free hand, happily staying right beside him as they made their way down to the beach.

When they arrived, there was one specific section that the beach-goers were avoiding. It was a small patch of bushes and greenery right before the beach truly began. The two made their way down towards the patch, before Azami crouched down and looked into the bushes. "Oh! Hi!" she held out a hand to the beast of the bushes, "It's okay.. I'm not gonna hurt you." Nanu smiled just a small bit at the gentleness displayed by his granddaughter. She would be a great trainer. Maybe he would let her keep whatever Pokemon was in there, if it turned out to like her enough-

And he was gone, much to Azami's confusion as she lifted a little Larvesta out of the greenery, "Grumpa? Why are you scared? He's just a little bug!"

"That's the problem." Nanu had promptly gone back towards the sidewalk, leaving Azami with the bug a good distance away, "It's horrible."

"He's adorable! Lookit him!" She held out the bug-type as Nanu backed up just a little bit more, careful not to back into the street. "And besides, you're _supposed_ to be helping him!"

The corner of Nanu's mouth twitched, "Well, go get yer Grandpa David then!"

"I will! And y'know what? Imma keep him."

"Wonderful. Just lovely, Azami." The walk home was fun, and Nanu trailed just behind his granddaughter, not bringing himself to look at the bug and fire-type in her arms. What a first Pokemon for her to pick. Just _fantastic._ Guzma would be proud, and that wasn't to say Nanu wasn't, but he was less than pleased at what Pokemon it was. Not that she didn't already realize that.

When the duo found themselves back at the house, David was there to greet them, hugging his husband and crouching down to meet his granddaughter, "Azami! Who's your new friend, dear?"

"It's a bug-type! I dunno what kind of bug, but issa bug. I love him." 

The former detective had to smile before realizing what probably happened while she was out with Nanu, who had already fled into his human-scale cat tree, made just for these situations. "Nanu. Did you get frightened by a little Larvesta?"

"Maybe." Nanu poked his head for just a moment before going back to slouching inside one of the little hidey-holes. 

"Gardenia, you little bitch."

The officer grimaced, nodding towards Azami, who was now holding David's hand and promptly asking, "Grandpa? What's that mean?"

Thinking quick, the detective simply looked down at his granddaughter and smiled, "Nothing you need to worry about right now, sweetie." The girl nodded and refocused her attention on her new friend, that being the end of _that._ Situating herself on the floor and working on getting her new friend to trust her, Azami was perfectly content while her two grandpas bickered in the back, typical old married couple style, Nanu having had to come out of the tree to argue properly. 

So it was no surprise, when Guzma and Plumeria came to get their daughter, that she had no idea what they were even arguing about. "I dunno. I've been here with my new friend!" And when she held up the Larvesta, they knew exactly what had happened, and had vastly different reactions. Guzma took to snickering about the situation and joined his daughter on the floor, messing around with the little bug. 

Plumeria, however, crossed her arms and looked back at the two old men, "Ey. You both done yet?"

"Oh!" David looked over, almost sheepishly, before nodding, "Yes. We are."

"Great. Now what happened?"

"Yer kid's got a bug. Not sure how much I like it." Nanu snorted, before shoving his hands in his pockets.

The Skull Boss looked up at his pops from his place on the floor, "I dunno what yer seein', Pops, but this bug's pretty great!"

"It's terrible." 

"Yer no fun, Pops." Guzma snickered again, earning a light smack from Plumeria, who shot him down a look that told him to cut it out. 

Azami was still confused, and stood up from her place on the floor, "But Grumpa," she held out the bug to him, "He's so cute!" This promptly caused the Police Chief to leap onto the kitchen counter, trying to avoid the terrified creature, Azami still not quite understanding the gravity of the situation, "Grumpa..."

It was at this point Guzma realized he would have to intervene, and crouched down between his daughter and the fear-stricken old man, "Listen Zazz. There ain't no way yer gonna get yer Grumpa to like bugs. Trust me. I tried for years. It never worked. He's just scared of 'em. Ain't nothing you can do." 

"Oh." the girl looked down at the Larvesta in her arms. And here she was thinking he was just being ridiculous. Now _she_ felt like the ridiculous one. "I'm sorry, Grumpa."

"It's fine, kiddo, but I ain't comin' down from this counter until the bug goes away." Nanu's words were forced out from a throat closed in fear, and he watched as Azami gained a Pokeball for her new friend. It was only then that, with David's assistance, Nanu climbed down from the counter. He was promptly met by a little body against his leg, and he looked down to investigate.

It was Azami, hugging his leg for dear life, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you..."

"Kiddo.." Nanu patted her head gently, out of fear that if he crouched down, he wouldn't be able to get up, "I already told ya. Yer fine. You couldn't've known. Don't worry about it."

"You're sure?"

"Mhm. The only way it wouldn't be okay is if you gave me a heart attack or somethin'. Then it wouldn't be."

"A what?" 

The cop had to laugh to himself. This kid asked a lot of questions, didn't she? But that was okay. He would be here, answering them all. And as he sat down to begin to answer all her burning inquiries, he felt.. peace. Like he was supposed to be right here, right now. Like everything was okay, just for once. And he smiled. Everything was okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go! Hope you all enjoy this fic!


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